Exclusive: John Lobb CEO Philippe Gonzalez on an ‘Intense’ 2024, What’s Selling in Men’s Shoes + New Store Locations
Stephen Garner
Senior Editor
For John Lobb chief executive officer Philippe Gonzalez, 2024 has been “intense” – but in a good way.
Gonzalez, who is in New York this week to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the British footwear brand’s Madison Avenue flagship, told FN in an interview that this year has been filled with milestone moments.
“It’s quite hard to just select one [highlight],” the CEO said. “I’m so grateful to my team and what we’re achieving here in New York, and for the success of this store. A year ago, we were all here and packing, preparing, putting everything on the shelves.
He continued, “It’s moments like this that give you the emotion that you achieved something. I do this for the emotions. I do this for the brand. You know, the brand is much bigger than I am, and the brand is going to last longer than I will. So, I’m here just to do the best as I can to make the brand shine.”
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In 2023, the John Lobb team made the move from 800 Madison Avenue down the street to 700 Madison after 23 years at its previous address. The outpost just so happens to be next door to its parent brand Hermès, which moved its New York home to 706 Madison in 2022.
And while this move next to Hermès might seem intentional, it was simply serendipitous.
“We share the same values, but ultimately this was the best location for our store,” said Gonzalez, who took the helm of John Lobb at the end of 2018. “The pandemic changed the face of Madison Avenue, and it became very empty around our prior location. Now, we are very happy with the foot traffic that we see here and are excited about all of the new shops that are opening around us. This will certainly only increase the customer base even more.”
As for what’s selling now, Gonzalez noted that the brand’s icons like the Lopez loafer, the William double buckle oxford and the Lawry boot still drive the business — and newness has been key. “We are also introducing more casual styles that are performing quite well here in America,” the CEO said. “These include styles with rubber soles and are made on a slightly wider last.”
But the definition of casual means something a bit different for John Lobb. While walking around the store, Gonzalez pointed out these “casual styles” – and they aren’t sneakers. The styles include a modern take on the creeper shoe, which harkens back to the label’s British heritage, and lug soled boots and dress shoes that can be worn with anything from jeans to a suit.
“These styles perform quite well in big cities like New York because our customer walks more and need to feel comfortable 24/7,” Gonzalez added. “But for John Lobb, we place the same level of attention to detail to our casual offering as we do to our formal shoes.”
But 2024 wasn’t all about America. Gonzalez noted that John Lobb has had a “very exciting” year in Japan – one of the brand’s largest markets outside of the U.S. and Europe. This year, John Lobb’s flagship store in Tokyo on Marunouchi Street was relocated and renovated to introduce the same concept as the NYC location. Plus, a new location in Kyoto opened in April inside a traditional Machiya house, and a John Lobb shop-in-shop debuted inside of Barneys Ginza in September. John Lobb now has eight stores in Japan.
“Traditionally, Japanese men dress up more than probably other countries,” Gonzalez said. “So, our formal offering is our strongest, but we are growing our casual offer. Right now, we are about 65 percent formal and 35 percent casual when it comes to sales in Japan.”
Looking ahead, Gonzalez is optimistic about the brand’s future in the U.S. As of now, the company has two flagships stateside – one in Los Angeles and the one in NYC. But another location could soon be on the way.
“We are planning to open more stores in 2026,” the CEO add. “I can’t tell you as of today where it’s going to be, but we are looking for new locations for John Lobb stores in the U.S. The American market is very important for us and has always been very important for us. Now it’s time to build on our dynamism in the market.”
